The U.S. legal cannabis market is an estimated $60 billion industry, with approximately 28,000 businesses operating and employing upwards of 300,000 people, and growing rapidly. Large-scale cultivation requires significant energy usage, nutrient and pesticide inputs, and water usage, resulting in cumulative environmental impacts. Addressing these concerns raises complex legal issues because of cannabis’ federal classification as a Schedule 1 narcotic, which prevents federal agencies from collecting data on, providing guidance to, or regulating the industry. This has led to fragmented state regulations that differ widely in regulating its impacts. On July 7, 2022, the Environmental Law Institute hosted a panel of experts who explored these legal and technical challenges, the environmental impacts of cannabis production, and opportunities to improve sustainability. Below, we present a transcript of that discussion, which has been edited for style, clarity, and space considerations.

The circular economy has gone mainstream as a goal in the transitions toward a more sustainable society. Often, however, laws that promote a circular economy remain vague or narrowly focused on resource efficiency, obscuring the fact that they have multiple environmental effects and can lead to environmental trade offs. This Article examines how to properly frame circular economy laws for sustainability, focusing on product-service systems generally and the case of car sharing in particular. Its analysis shows that a circular economy is not to be framed as an end, but as a means of striving for environmental sustainability.